This chapter was complicated to write. With so much going on and so many people included, it got to over five thousand words (a long chapter for me). This chapter is the day of the ceremony for the reincarnation spell for Mayumi (Naru's mother).

All the scouts and generals are there, along with Usagi, Mamoru, Naru, Sapphire, Motoki, Reika, Hatori, Shingo, Grandpa Hino, Suki, Saeko, Yamato, Mars, Bastet, Rick, and Unazuki (gets invited). It's a lot of people, but know that they are all there. They don't all get "speaking" parts.

Fair warning: it has a lot of POV switches, but it was the only way I could move around the day and get a lot of information in. If, for some reason, it is too hard to follow, please let me know, and I will edit it. I worked hard, though, to make it clear.

I hope you enjoy the chapter, and thank you for reading.

Rick walked up to Mamoru as they gathered at the Temple grounds for the ceremony on Saturday. He sighed and said, "It's an amazing study aid with massive side effects."

Mamoru knew Rick had planned to try out the vampire blood the night before. "I never tried it when I was human. What side effects?"

"It did give me energy, and I even had a photographic memory, and what I was able to study is still in my mind just as clearly."

"What you 'were' able to study?" Mamoru asked, confused.

"Yup," Rick said, popping the p. "I made coffee just for something to drink as I studied. That turned out to be the big flaw in my plan."

"Did it make you think of Unazuki?" Mamoru asked, searching his mind for what his friend could possibly mean. "She does love coffee."

"Worse. So much worse. Unazuki showed up fifteen minutes after I took the vampire blood." Rick didn't even see the kick to the back of his legs coming. All he knew was one minute, he was talking to Mamoru, and the next, he had collapsed to the ground.

Motoki stood over him, looking like vengeance personified. "Tell me you didn't use my innocent sister as a sex toy because you were hopped up on vampire blood!"

It was at that moment that the three of them felt the wind whip up and swirl around them. They then heard Rei say, in a commanding tone, "There will be no fighting today. This is a big day for my son!" She was utterly unaffected by the win, but her hair was floating as if suspended in outer space. "That is enough, boys." Then, the wind died down ultimately, and an eerie calm descended. Every one of them had been frozen in shock.

Rei then said, trying to get everything back on track, "The ceremony will start in forty-five minutes. Do remember to behave yourselves."

Rick shook his head in amazement and then stood up as Motoki grumbled, "Did you have sex with my sister?" He said it quietly so as not to upset Rei again, who he noticed hadn't left yet. He figured that she didn't trust them.

"If I tell you the truth, you'll hit me," Rick replied. There was a reason she didn't trust them after all. As Motoki's face flushed angrily, Rick added, "I didn't use her, though. You're the only one here who doesn't realize I'm crazy about her. She likes me too. We're together."

Motoki cursed under his breath and hissed, "She's my sister!"

Rei stepped forward threateningly to get into the conversation and keep the peace. "Motoki, relax. She's his other half. Just like Reika is yours."

That didn't go very far in helping Motoki feel better. He knew what he did with Reika, his other half, on vampire blood. He didn't want to think of Rick like that with his baby sister. "Okay?! He had sex with her on vampire blood! I know what that does!"

Rei laughed at him. "Because you and Reika used it too." She knew she had hit the nail on the head.

Motoki then objected partially, "But she didn't, did she? He was on vampire blood and not her. Was she even okay?"

Unable to help himself and wanting to push his friend, Rick got a cocky smirk on his face and said, "She was more than just okay by the sound of her screaming."

"I want to punch you in that smug face of yours," Motoko snapped.

"Go ahead. I know I deserve it for what I did to your little sister." Rick had decided to try and bait his friend into punching him, and it worked. Motoki took a swing and cracked him right in the face.

As pain blossomed on his cheek, Rick asked, "Feel better?" He knew that their friendship would survive better if Motoki vented his anger and felt like he was vindicated in his actions. He thought it was the only way Motoki would get over his rage and begin to forgive him. Rei understood that, too, so she stayed back.

"A bit!" Motoki grumbled. "She's my sister."

"And Rei says that I will marry her, and I'm not in the least bit surprised. Without the blood, I wouldn't have gone about it in that exact way, but I would have gone after her."

Mamoru patted Rick on the back. "Call her. If she's going to be involved in all this, she should be here today."

"You think she'll be involved?" Rick questioned.

"You're the head of your family and of The Order of Usagi. Do you want to keep that from her?"

"Good point," Rick then called Unazuki, knowing he had the King's permission. While they were friends, he hadn't missed the fact that it was Mamoru who gave the consent.

Unazuki walked up the long steps to the shrine. She was regretting the need to go up them all. Much of the muscles in her body were erotically sore. Thinking about that did make her smile and ease her groaning.

She thought about how Rick, on whatever enhancer he had been on, had done things to and with her that brought her incredible pleasure but left her sore and aching today. And damn, was it a lot of pleasure. Almost everyone in the dorm hall that she had run into had congratulated her. They also asked if he had a brother.

She shook her head in amusement as she got near the top of the stairs. Rick had called her promising answers and told her to brace herself for what was coming. She couldn't fathom the idea of being more overwhelmed by what he had to say than she was when she was in bed with him earlier.

When she got to the top, her breath was taken away. Standing there waiting for her was Rick, and he looked even more handsome to her today than he ever had before. She admitted it was probably because he was looking at her with utter devotion clearly marked on his face. "Hey, beautiful," he commented as she walked to his side.

She blushed and looked up into his eyes, "I'm here."

He nodded and raised one eyebrow at her. "You look like you're a bit stiff today."

"A bit?" She scoffed, "I'm stiff all over." Once she saw the cocky look in his face, she playfully poked him in the side. "You're loving this."

"I will fully admit that I am. Be honest. So are you."

"True. Every twinge makes me think of how it happened."

He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "Come to my place tonight. Although I can't promise the same performance."

"You can't get more of whatever that was?"

He chuckled, "We both could really. But I want you to make that choice later once you're better informed."

"You're still not going to tell me what it was that you took?"

"Vampire blood," he replied quickly. "And before you tell me I'm crazy, I want to inform you that vampire blood is going to be low on the list of crazy things you learn today."

"Like the sparkly kind?" She asked, knitting her brows together.

Rick laughed heartily in response. "No. And just wait until you meet Mars."

"The planet?

"No, the god."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're doing this on purpose, aren't you? Stop fucking with me."

He eyed her seductively and, with a gravelly tone of voice, said, "Oh babe, but you seem to love it when I fuck with you."

She playfully batted his arm. "You know what I mean, Rick. You're doing this on purpose."

"Yes. You're right, but that doesn't mean I'm lying." He then kissed her forehead. "It's going to be overwhelming. Just know that I will do my best to explain it all as it goes along today and that I will answer any unanswered questions you have later tonight. Oh, and your brother can help."

"My brother? What does he have to do with this?"

Rick looked her in the eyes and replied, "He knows everything, too. Starting with the fact that Mamoru is now a vampire. It was his blood I drank last night. His girlfriend, Usagi-"

"She's so sweet," Unazuki injected into the conversation.

"Yes, she is. She's also a vampire who's over four hundred and seventy years old."

She jerked a bit in surprise. "I know two vampires?! I mean… what? How am I supposed to process that?"

Rick cupped her cheek. "My best advice for today is just to take in all the information and process it later. That, or you're going to have a hard time."

"What can be weirder than two vampires and some supposed god?"

He shook his head. "I wonder if I made the right call bringing you here. Mamoru did tell me that you should come, though."

"He commands you?" Unazuki asked in confusion.

"No. Not me. But I work with him. He is the King of the Vampire and Werewolves."

"Werewolves!? King?"

"Yeah," He said, sighing in frustration. "I should have prepared you better for this. Maybe you should go…"

"No!" She shook her head and straightened her spine. The truth was she felt like she was failing him right now. He was more mature than her, and she hated the feeling of being childish and not practical enough to follow along. She wasn't giving herself enough credit for the situation, but she desperately wanted to impress him.

He didn't want to send her away, but he knew he couldn't leave with her. Due to his position as the family head and his friendship with Mamoru, he felt he needed to attend the ceremony.

It was Unazuki who spoke again. "I can do this, really. I'll prove it to you."

"I don't mean anything bad by it. I really should have multiple conversations with you before I dump it all on you."

She shook her head. "Vampires, werewolves, and Mars exist. I got this."

He let out a long sigh. "It's more than that…." Rick looked her in the eyes. "Thank you. I do realize you're trying to accept this for my sake. For some reason, I feel like you're doing this to prove something to me."

She frowned slightly. "I'll admit you're right. But is that so bad? I want to be standing by your side for the things that you find important."

"My parents are going to love you." He stepped back and grabbed her hand, laced their fingers together, and began walking toward where everyone else was standing.

As they began walking, he said, "Okay. Reincarnation is a thing. You haven't met Satoru yet, right?" He asked, interrupting himself.

"Yes."

"He has been reincarnated a bunch of times, but he's in love with his wife and doesn't want to be reborn again if she isn't there with him. So this is a ceremony built up around making sure she is reincarnated too in a way where they can both be in the same cycle and fall in love time and again."

With wide eyes, Unazuki said, "Okay. That's wild, for one thing. But that's also so romantic! I love that I get to see this," she said excitedly.

Rick hoped she could hold onto the romance of it all as something relatable in this whole experience. He thought it would ground her. After all, the facts had been overwhelming to him, and he knew of the existence of vampires since he was a child.

As they neared the others, he added. "More than half the people here are supernatural, and Rei is a witch. I am pointing that out now because she's performing the spell."

"Okaaaaay," she replied right before walking up to her brother.

Motoki sighed and ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at her. "You're dating him?" He wanted confirmation from his sister's own lips that she was happy.

"Yes."

"And?! Come on. At least tell me something!"

"Are you going to get mad about it?" Unazuki pressed.

"No. I just want to hear that you're happy."

She smiled at her brother kindly. "The guy of my dreams loves me back. And on top of that, he's friends with people I respect and my brother," she teased with the last part. "I'm more than happy."

Motoki was relieved. Then, reacting like an annoying older brother, he asked, "So. How much do you know about Hybrids?"

"The cars?"

Rick grumbled, "She doesn't need every bit of information immediately! I was planning on getting to that later."

She looked at Rick questioningly. "What's a Hybrid?"

"Half vampire, half Werewolf," he said, relenting. After all, he reminded himself he promised to answer her questions. "I will tell you more, but can we go over that tonight?"

He then groaned loudly when Rei announced, "Fifteen minutes before my son's ceremony! It soon will be time to make your way over."

"Her son?" Unazuki asked. "I thought this was for an adult."

"Remember when I said he had been reincarnated?"

"Yes."

"So have Rei and Jadeite. Satoru was their son in a previous incarnation for all of them." He decided to leave out the details of that incarnation for now. Yet again, those would come later tonight or maybe the next day if she needed a break. Or perhaps even the day after that.

He then saw his Aunt, and he knew one thing that would be normal and that he could do right now. He motioned for Suki to come over and smiled as she approached.

Rick drew Unazuki's attention to his aunt, a nice, normal family member she could meet, and said, "Please meet my one hundred percent human aunt. Suki, this is Unazuki, Motoki's sister and my girlfriend."

Unazuki bowed to Suki respectfully. "It's an honor to meet you. I've heard a lot about you from Rick. He talks about how you inspired him to become a doctor."

Ski ruined his plans when she said, "Oh, Rick! I'm so glad that I get to meet your destined soulmate that Rei was talking about!"

"Well, crap." Rick couldn't believe how much that had backfired.

Usagi chuckled and looked up mischievously at Mamoru. "Well, this is entertaining." They could both hear how Rick's conversation had been going with Unazuki. "You're naughty."

"I didn't mean to be! I tried to include her since she would be a big part of Rick's life. I didn't think….." Mamoru let his sentence trail off, and then he sighed.

"She's walking funny," Usagi said, amused. She then playfully added, "I wonder why that is."

"Coffee."

"Hunh?"

"Rick was studying in the library with coffee brewing."

Usagi chuckled, "That's like an aphrodisiac for her, and… he had the blood. You are naughty."

Nodding, Mamoru said, "I am. But to be fair, it did work as a study aid until… until it didn't."

"Poor Motoki. He has first-hand experience of what it's like to be on vampire blood, and his friend used that on his sister." Laughing, she added, "He might need therapy. Think we can get a group rate?"

"Why?"

"Well, there was that overheard incident with Yamato and Saeko. Ami seems a bit different around Yamato and her mother since then."

Mamoru returned her smile. "I think we would put any therapist we hired into therapy for him or herself."

The accuracy of that amused Usagi. "True. Could you imagine me saying that I knew the Grim Reaper?"

Mamoru growled, and his skin prickled. "I. Don't. Like. Him." He didn't realize that every supernatural being instantly turned to look at him in concern. Not noticing that, he continued, "He's no good!"

Noticing and not caring that everyone was looking, Usagi stroked his arm. "I don't like him either."

"He wants you."

"He likes blonds and a challenge —I'm both."

Mamoru narrowed his eyes, and his fangs descended. "Mine."

"Yours. Always."

Cracking his neck and feeling ready for a fight that didn't exist, he stepped closer to her. "I want to strangle him." He then growled again. "Mine!"

Usagi cupped his cheek and looked lovingly into his eyes. "If he ever comes near me again, I won't stop you from fighting him."

"You won't?"

"No. I get how you feel, Mamo-chan. I pick you over everyone in this world. If it makes you feel better, destroy him."

"But he can't be destroyed."

"Who says? He hasn't been destroyed, true, but maybe he just hasn't gone against someone strong enough to beat him."

Mamoru smiled wide. "I won't let him near you."

"And I don't want him by me," she replied sweetly. "Calling him for information on your parents was the only reason I saw him again. The last time I saw him before that was in 1864."

Rei was finally able to turn from looking at Mamoru. Something had upset him, and it had affected all of them. She noticed she wasn't the only one who was now able to go back to what she had been doing. Rei figured Usagi must have gotten him calmed down. However, the effect he had on them surprised her.

"He's you're King," Mars said to her without needing further explanation.

"True. But what was I supposed to do? What is the point of the pull on all of our attention?"

Mars chucked, "Apparently, he wants to kill death himself. My guess is even he would need some help."

"Can he even be killed?" Rei asked.

"Don't know," Mars said, shrugging. "I wouldn't bet against the group of you, though."

Rei scoffed, "Like the Grim Reaper is a threat to Mamoru at all. Usagi is completely devoted to her King."

"And her King has realized that she enjoys it when he acts out with jealousy. Just like he enjoys it too." Mars smirked. "I bet it makes the sex wild!"

Rei pretended to gag. "Don't want to know!"

"My guess is that with those two, you won't be able to avoid that kind of knowledge over the centuries. Sorry, Rei."

"You're probably right. It seems like we all can't avoid the talk of our sex life. Poor Motoki."

"And don't forget Ami."

"Gosh. If I heard my parents…" she trailed off quickly. Her mind instantly flashed to her childhood when she heard her father having rough sex with his mistress. At her young age, it had taken her a while to figure out what was happening.

Mars cut into her thoughts. "And your grandfather?" he teased. "You might want to move out just in case."

"He hasn't!"

"Correct. He hasn't —yet. But…."

"Ewww. You're a jerk. You know that? Gross."

"Suki doesn't find him gross," he teased. He was glad he had successfully gotten her mind off of her father. He knew about that time. He knew a lot about her while he waited in the ether for, waiting for when she was ready to come into her full powers. Her heartache had called to him that day, and even though she didn't know it, he sat with her while she cried. Once her tears dried, Mars took revenge for her tears. Her father had needed medication for erectile dysfunction ever since that day.

Rei shuddered but still smiled. "He's happy. I'm going to focus on that part." She then looked at Mars. "You think I should move from the Shrine?"

"Soon. Yes. And it's not for your sake. He finally has a woman who loves him. Let him build a life with her for a while. Your grandmother was….."

"She was where my father got it from," she finished.

Well, crap, Mars thought. That brought back the sensitive subject.

"Wanna update our family registries and get a place together," Jadeite interrupted, figuring now was as good a time as ever to pop the question that day."

"What!?"

Rei spun to look at him, and when she turned around, he was on one knee with a large ruby ring clutched in his fingers. "Marry me?"

She blinked in surprise and then realized she was crying. "Yes, I'll marry you!"

And so they got engaged on a day their son wouldn't remember in his next life but would still feel a part of since he would be living the repercussions of the spell that she would perform to enact Mayumi's reincarnation. It would make him feel connected to his parent's engagement, too.

Grandpa Hino had almost missed his granddaughter's engagement. He was glad he had managed to remember at the last minute that Jadeite had planned to propose that day. Not that he had given a specific time.

Suki squeezed his hand tighter in his. "Oops. I almost messed that up."

"No," he said, amused. "Thank you for being understanding when I pushed you away, though."

She chuckled. "How could I take offense when I could tell just how much you were enjoying that kiss too?"

"I offended myself by stopping that kiss. Trust me. I wouldn't have for any other reason."

Right before the engagement, he had pulled her a bit away from the crowd and kissed her like he had longed for a while now. They had both quickly gotten lost in their heated kiss.

He gave Suki's hand another squeeze before dropping her hand and then clapping and rubbing his hands together. "Time to get my great-grandson his bride back in the next life."

"Great-grandson?" Unazuki asked, confused.

"Remember I told you about Satoru being Rei and Jadeite's reincarnated son?"

"Yes."

"The Priest is Rei's Grandfather by blood."

Unazuki nodded, trying to understand. "So he's her biological grandfather. Like, he's on the family registry and everything?"

"Exactly," Mars said, amused, being able to divine her true confusion and finding it entertaining. He found he really liked her. She was a fighter in her heart, and he always appreciated people like that. Mars could sense how baffled she was and also how much she was pressing on and working to fully understand everything. He was still a bit mischievous and added, "Unlike Luna and Artemis over there," he pointed at the couple. "They are Grandpa Hino's reincarnated grandparents. They aren't in the family registry, though. I guess that makes them Satoru's great-great-great grandparents."

"Of course, why not?" Unazuki replied, fighting the feeling of being overwhelmed even more. "Why not add someone else?"

"Like the fact that in Satoru's second life, he was Usagi's maternal uncle?" Mars grinned evilly. "Does that make Usagi Rei's pseudo-granddaughter? After all, her mother wasn't part of that particular reincarnation cycle."

"Enough, Mars," Usagi scolded. "Even I am getting a headache. Why mess with her?"

"Because I like her," he answered quickly. "The more overwhelmed she gets, the braver she forces herself to be. She wasn't born a daughter of mine, but I find I would be interested in helping her navigate her life as a vampire."

"She's human," Rick interjected.

Mars shrugged, "She's mortal for now. She's not the type of woman to be satisfied with the status quo, though."

"Um…. who is he?" Unazuki whispered to Rick, not realizing that almost everyone could hear her anyway.

"The god Mars that I told you about."

"Oh," she squawked out. "Yeah. I guess that's a thing that can happen now." Her brain raced over the compliments that he had given her. They were one more thing she was going to have to file away in her head to be addressed later. It was how she was pressing on with everything. She had liked Rick's suggestion.

It was at that time when Bastet materialized as a lion and then slowly morphed into her human-like Egyptian goddess form. "And why wasn't I invited to Naru's mother and step-father's event?!"

"Oh," Rick said apologetically. "That's the goddess Bastet. She's with Naru like Mars is with Rei."

"They are Naru's parents!?" Unazuki asked, wide-eyed.

Rick blushed. "To be fair. I thought you knew that. Mayumi is Naru's blood-related, on the Japanese family registry legally, mother, and Satoru is legally married to her."

"Oh. I just never asked her parent's names," she replied.

Bastet, following along like Mars had, pointed at Unazuki and said, "Oh. I like that one. Can I have her?"

Rick stepped in front of Unazuki as Mars said, "I claimed her first."

"I would adopt her as my daughter," Bastet pressed on.

"Later —maybe," Rick interjected. "She gets to choose. Much later. Give her time to adjust to everything first."

Bastet pouted. "But that's no fun. It's the iron will she's asserting right now that's interesting to me."

Mars rolled his eyes. "Shocking! You're telling me that you get bored and move on. Imagine how much I'm not surprised."

"Dick," Bastet snarled.

Smirking cockily, Mars replied, "That's your comeback? I think I remember you liking my dick —a lot. In fact, when this is over, maybe I should remind you just how much."

Bastet eyed him lustfully. "I wouldn't object."

"Use your claws," he replied quickly.

"Of course," she said, letting lion-like claws protrude from her human-looking finger. "I remember what you like, too."

"Oh. My. Gosh." Naru mouthed at Rei. They were both shuddering.

Everyone decided that the ceremony would start in twenty minutes. Nothing was booked at the Shrine for the rest of the day, so they could take a little more time to prepare for the festivities. Rei was one who knew for sure she needed to center herself after that last conversation before she was ready to perform so much magic.

Jadeite followed her so they could be on their own for a bit like they had planned. "Ready?" he asked.

"Soon. Bite me," she said, arching her neck for him to have plenty of access.

"With pleasure," he replied and then was instantly pulling her into his arms. "I love this part." Next, he licked her neck, tasting her and enjoying the feeling he had of anticipation. Once he finally bit down, he reveled in the tingly flow of her magic in her blood. He made sure to drink a lot since he was to be a vessel to aid her in her spell.

Once Jadeite stopped biting her, Rei stayed in his arms and rested against his chest. "I can feel my magic inside of you. I am so connected to you."

"It makes me wonder why witches were in danger from vampires."

"I would think what's happening, where you gain boosted power from my blood, would explain that," she replied.

"True. But it doesn't make me want more power." He reached down and grabbed her ass. "It makes me want to feel your magic inside of me while I fuck your hot sexy magical body."

Rei let out an amused and aroused laugh. "Maybe the real danger is sexual frustration. What if they acted out, not knowing they really wanted sex?"

"Who knows? But I do know after this, I want to drag you into the woods and make love to you."

She gave him a flirty look. "Maybe."

"Tease."

From around the corner and back where the ceremony was to happen, Nephrite said, "Yeah, if someone doesn't break them up soon, we're going to be delayed even more." They had visual privacy, but still most of the beings there could still hear them. Jadeite hadn't realized their conversation would get sexual, so he didn't take her that far a way to drink her blood in preparation for the spell.

They all thought he should have known better.

It ended up being a full thirty-two minutes later that Mayumi and Satoru were standing in front of Rei, and she gathered her magic in herself and Jadeite for the spell.

Satoru held out the large diamond ring he had selected for Mayumi with today's date engraved on the inside of the band. "Take this ring as evidence of my pledge and vow for our futures together. I discovered that I had lived many lives before this one and was only left saddened by that discovery. Knowing you weren't in them, I can't fathom how those lives could have been anything less than tragic. I knew the day I married you and got you as my wife and Naru as my daughter that it would always be the best day of my life. And yet now I find it's dwarfed compared to this one." He clasped her hand tightly. "Mayumi, my every future life will now belong to you and our family. Happiness isn't a word that feels sufficient. But 'love,' that one I vow to you now and in every day to come."

Every supernatural ear heard Jadeite mutter, "Damn, my son is smooth."

Mayumi and Satoru didn't hear him, though. They were lost in the beautiful moment.

"Husband," Mayumi started. "Before you came into my life, that word was broken in my eyes. Husbands were something that didn't stay. Then there was you, and you redeemed that word on our wedding day, and now you have become the definition of that word today." She held out the gold band she had made with the date engraved on the inside. "I vow and pledge my everything to you. Even more, I chose to live again. I smile in anticipation of getting to fall in love with you for the first time again and again. But even more than that, I get to have your lasting love throughout the centuries."

Rei was glad she couldn't cry, or she would be a sobbing mess right now. She pulled on the gathered magic and placed her hand on Mayumi's shoulder. "Daughter-according-to-our-law, welcome to the family. Forever."

Red swirling magic then burst out from where Rei's hand rested on Mayumi and radiated like a swirling mass of twinkling red stars encircling them. Rei, Jadeite, and Mayumi were encapsulated in glittering magic, which caused everyone, but the three to shield their eyes.

Rei felt her magic begin to seep into Mayumi and take hold. Even with Mayumi's eagerness, she was still surprised by how easily the magic took root. Once it started to go into Mayumi, the bright red shiny magic disappeared onto her, leaving them all a bit blinded for a moment.

Satoru, seeing his mother's pleased look, immediately knew it worked and kissed Mayumi desperately on the lips to seal their vows.

Sagging a bit from the exhaustion of helping as a vessel of part of the spell, Jadeite said, "I think it's time for the party."

Detective Itsuki stood looking out the back window of his home as he watched the birds eat from the bird feeder he had hung from the Japanese Maple in his backyard. As his eyes followed the White-Cheeked Starling that was now eating, he thought about his grandmother.

"Baba," he muttered to himself. "You can rest now."

When his grandmother had died, he hadn't thought much of it. At the time, he just figured the drinking had taken its toll, and she had, in a way, slowly killed herself. Then, he was a first-year cadet and had gotten curious one day and looked into what he found to be a lazy coroner's report.

His first shock was that the toxicology report had come back clean. There wasn't any alcohol in her system at the time of death. That created an even bigger curiosity in him. He initially had wondered how the lab work had gotten mixed up and considered the fact that someone else's deceased loved one had been marked as drunk because she had their report.

As he looked further, though, it did show all the markers of medications she was on, and those all lined up. He didn't understand how she could be alcohol-free. It was at a point in her life when he firmly believed she would die from alcohol withdrawal.

He then combed through the reports that had been done, and he couldn't glean much information. It was the photos from the autopsy that gave him an answer, though.

On his grandmother's shoulder was a tiny, new tattoo that was mentioned in the report, and when it was, it was listed as if it hadn't been unusual. He had known for a fact that his grandmother hated tattoos, and she wouldn't have ever consented to one. Then he looked at the actual tattoo, which was the symbol she had warned him of since childhood.

Staring at the mark, he was sure of the fact that The Order of Van Helsing had killed his grandmother. He suspected they used her alcoholism against her and that she died of withdrawal.

He turned from the window and walked toward the front door to go to work. He knew he was risking his career and his freedom, but he was determined to destroy the group involved with his Baba's death. He had already killed the men responsible, and that pleased him. Yet still, he felt he had an organization to take down.